The bow and arrow has been used for hunting deer and other game animals since the early history of civilization and is still in use today. A problem with arrows now in use for this purpose is that often they do not fell the animal quickly and humanely. Instead, an animal may continue to run for a considerable length of time and distance after the arrowhead has entered the animal. In some cases the hunter may be able to follow a trail of blood left by the animal and thereby retrieve the animal after it has fallen; in other cases, if the animal's wound is no wider than the arrow shaft, there is little bleeding, and the hunter cannot sight the path of the animal, so that the hunter loses the animal and is unable to retrieve it after it has fallen.
The bow and arrow has also been used for fishing.
A number of arrows for hunting and fishing are described in patents and other published literature.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,289,284 Chandler, discloses an arrow having interchangeable arrowheads for game hunting, bird hunting and fishing. One form of the arrow, disclosed as being useful for fishing, includes a two-section shaft with a pair of pivoted barbs mounted on the front section, just behind the arrowhead, and a fishing line tied to both the front and rear sections. The rear section of the shaft is received in a tapered ferrule in the front section, so that the two sections may be disconnected. When the arrowhead has entered a fish, the barbs spread, and any pull on the fishing line tends to disconnect the two shaft sections.
Nelson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,395 discloses a fishing arrow having a plurality of barbs which spread after the arrow enters a fish, and a retrieving line tied to the shaft.
Swails, U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,396, discloses an arrow having spring loaded retractable barbs that are normally in their open or extended position, and which are retracted as the arrow strikes its target and then will become extended again after the forward end of the arrow has entered the animal.
Zwickey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,977, discloses an arrowhead having a spring member which becomes extended after the arrowhead has entered a fish or animal, and a cord to permit retrieval of the arrow after it is shot.
Palma, U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,519 discloses a telescoping arrow which includes an energy storing means which is released when the arrow enters an animal, thereby propelling the forward section of the shaft forward relative to the rear section.
Simo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,340 discloses a hunting arrow having a bleeder attachment to increase bleeding and thereby cause a faster and more humane death of the animal.